we are back now with more of "today" on this friday morning. it's the 28th of december, 2012. we have a great crowd. a birthday girl here on the plaza. they're happy. they're bundled up. they're smiling. they're getting ready to party as new year's eve is almost upon us. we say good morning to them. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist in for matt. have you made any new year's resolutions? >> not yet. i never finish them. what's the point? >> we're going to give you advice on how to best keep your new year's resolutions. a lot of us have them. keeping them is the tricky part.

some people, i'm told, like to have a drink or two on new year's eve. we're going to give you some special drinks, new cocktails you may want to sample yourself on monday night. and in "today's" take three, something a lot of people may be grappling with, when to take down the christmas tree. some people say wait until after the new year. some people say immediately. >> some people say it's good luck to do it on certain days or bad luck to wait too long. >> the needles are starting to fall off. >> well, you have to water it. >> oh. >> yes, details. let's get over to natalie morales with a check of today's top stories. good morning. >> good morning, savannah and willie. good morning, everyone. another winter storm is pushing east today while much of the northeast and midwest digs out from thursday's storm that left arkansas with a record snowfall and 200,000 customers without electricity. at least 16 deaths are blamed on that storm. a long-time aide to former

president george h.w. bush says he's likely to enter the new year in a hospital. bush, who is 88, has been in the hospital since november for bronchitis and a series of complications. he entered intensive care on sunday. one of the great military giants of our time has died. general norman schwarzkopf died thursday in tampa, florida, from complications of pneumonia. he commanded operation desert storm, the first persian gulf war that forced iraq out of kuwait. president obama says we have lost an american original. well, with some 90 hours to go until the fiscal cliff kicks in, president obama and top members of congress meet today at the white house, and the house is holding a rare session on sunday. but there are no signs that any proposals are taking shape that both sides can agree on. heartbreak for many americans now banned from adopting russian children. this morning, president vladimir putin signed a bill that blocks

russian children from leaving the country, even if u.s. families have already started the process of adopting them. the ban appears to be in re retaliation for u.s. criticism of russia's human rights record. it's back to work for hillary clinton after being sidelined due to a concussion. she hit her head earlier this month after a stomach virus caused her to faint. overseas travel will remain off the table for several more weeks. a woman has been arrested suspected of running a fraudulent fundraising scheme to profit off the sandy hook shooting tragedy. the 37-year-old was charged with lying to the fbi agents investigating the alleged scam. she spoke off camera earlier this month with our own jeff rossen. the uncle of 6-year-old shooting victim noah posner found a post online requesting donations to a personal paypal account.

a complaint filed against alba claims she used text messages and phone calls. out with the old and in with the new. the first thing that's got to go are some annoying words from this year. according to their annual survey on the subject, the poll finds that twitterverse is fifth most annoying word of 2012. other cringe worthy mentions are a bit more classic. just saying, you know, like, all taking the top spots f. for the fourth year running, whatever. we're guessing they'll be back next year. they are truly annoying. finally, if you're heading back to the stores to return unwanted gifts, maybe you should take this guy with you. this tiny poodle may not have presents to return, but he sure seems to enjoy going along for the trip. a little bit kind of like "gangnam style." i think he's got that horsey dance going. now you just need the music and it would work.

all right. four minutes after the hour. let's go back outside to maria larosa with a check of the weather. >> good morning, natalie. we have some great hats here on the plaza. we have exhibit a. we're opting not to put this on. you opt for the head band. why not put this on? >> it's too small with my head band on. >> fair enough. very cute. definitely needed for some of the chillier weather we're seeing in the northeast this morning. we're going to focus on some of the wintry weather headed our way. yes, another winter storm. you see the pink. those are freezing rain advisories. portions of arkansas were under blizzard warnings a few days ago. that snow is going to be moving out of the mid-south and ohio valley. going forward from ohio into western pennsylvania, developing into washington, d.c. into overnight tonight, pushing into philadelphia, new york by tomorrow morning. then into boston as we get into the midday on saturday. it's quick moving and out of here but just enough to give a general 1 to 3 inches. that's a look at the

that's a look at your weather. willie, back to you. >> look at that face. >> all together now, awww. maria, thank you. now to "today's" take three. we discuss some of the topics that have you talking. this time of year, after christmas, between new year's, we start to wonder, when is it time to take down the decorations, take down the tree? the number one answer on app today.com poll is 41% say by january 6, after 12 days of

christmas. new year's eve is second with 45%. >> i'm with the january 6th. buy me a little more time. >> we always did new year's day. just whenever i get sick of it i take it down. >> 17% say day after christmas. >> at some point, your hand is forced. when the needles start to shed. >> when the fire marshal comes and says it's a fire hazard. >> there are superstitions. people feel if you don't take it down right away or after christmas or right after new year's, you're dragging your old into the new year. the old baggage. got to get rid of the garbage. >> i'm bringing my baggage into the new year, tree or no tree. dried out or not. >> speaking of the new year, our take two new year's eve traditions and superstitions. we're talking about taking the tree down. let's talk new year's eve. traditions around the world include central and south america, a lot of people wear special underwear to ring in the new year.

>> in brazil, they wear white and brand new underwear. i guess you want to start things off right. start fresh. >> i can sign on to this tradition. okay. don't get a close-up on me. i'm for new underwear. okay. what else? >> let's go to denmark, perhaps. people jump off chairs in unison at midnight. that's to rid people of negative spirits from the previous year. >> all right. >> good one. >> spain, natalie, you know about this one. we're going to show it. >> we're going to demo. it sounds easy to eat 12 grapes. it is not easy. >> do we have the chimes? >> we're going to do it. so 30 seconds on the clock, please. >> this should go well. >> are we going to hear this? [ chiming ] >> you can't even get them in

your mouth. oh, my -- good work. >> thank you. this is what happens when you've been pounding campaign all night. you can't deliver a grape into your mouth at close range. >> i'm dead sober. how do they do this drunk? >> you littered the floor with grapes. >> i'm sorry. >> they did those chimes too fast. >> those were very fast. >> that was very fun. >> you missed your mouth by half an inch. you couldn't make the transaction. amazing. >> how was your grape eating? >> you have to make one. yes! it's in there. >> i started laughing looking at everybody. >> it's fun.

>> this is my new tradition. new underwear and grape eating. >> not for kids. >> exactly. >> now i have a little game for you guys. this is going to make you feel really smart as you enter the new year. increase your intelligence. >> as if i don't feel dumb enough. >> it's called "what is it called?" okay. this right here has a name. this little sleeve. it's not a sleeve. what goes around your coffee cup? >> the coffee holder. that's the cup. >> it's a sleeve. >> no, you're wrong. >> it's a narf. >> how is that spelled? >> n-a-r -- sorry, zarf. >> do we know anything about that? it's a sleeve. we all know it is. >> okay. somewhere on this bottle of wine -- >> explains a lot. it's empty. >> is a punt.

>> a punt? >> think about it. come on, willie. football. you played football, right? >> yes. >> punt. >> right under here. >> yay, ding, ding, ding. sound effects, people. all right. it is the indentation on the bottom of the wine. what is this thing called? >> foot measurer. >> shoe/foot measurer device. >> if you read right here, it says genuine branic device. now you know. apparently it's the only one in the world that they -- it's the scale everybody uses to measure everybody's feet. >> cornered the market. >> number four. are you ready? >> yes. >> you have to demo this as well. it would help if they took the toothbrushes out. we need the toothbrushes to be opened. i want you guys to demo for me a nerdle. >> that doesn't sound attractive. >> is this involved?

>> to demonstrate a nerdle? >> it is, of course -- >> obviously, it's when you brush your friend's teeth. i don't know. >> you can't even get a grape in your own mouth. is that a nerdle? >> do we need toothpaste? >> it's a little swish when you put the toothpaste on. >> you said no. >> i'm not going to give it all away. it's a small amount of toothpaste. we're learning something new every day. >> think of how popular you'll be at your new year's party with these facts. >> and your grapes. >> this one goes back to biology. what is on your body a glabella? careful, willie. would you like it in a sentence? >> yes, i would.

is it latin, spanish, french? let's turn the tables on you. >> it's on the body. >> can you use it in a sentence? >> i will not use it in a sentence because that would give it away. >> glabella. >> it's right below the epiglottis. some people have hair. i don't know. now i'm afraid to ask. >> no. it is the spot -- not that spot. this spot. this spot right here. >> oh, good. >> the spot in between your e eyebrows and your nose. >> my glabella is permanently wrinkled. >> that is educational. >> zarf, quickly. >> it's this. all right. jonathan is an 11-year-old drummer, enjoys exploring the

p p percussive sounds of household appliances. check this out. okay. so he's 10 years old when he posted the video in september. he's taken drum lessons but says he's basically self-taught. he thinks the washing machine is easier to play than his own drum kit. sounds like a college marching band. he's really good. >> you want to demo? who's really good at percussion? you play the guitar. >> i've done enough in this segment to embarrass myself. i think we should do phil collins "in the air tonight" drum solo. >> while they do that, i'm going to tell you that up next we've got five ways to actually keep your new year's resolution in

2013 right after this. this family used capital one venture miles to come home for the holidays. that's double miles you can actually use... sadly, their brother's white christmas just got "blacked out." [ brother ] but it's the family party! really jingles your bells, doesn't it? my gift to you! the capital one venture card! for any flight, any time! that's double miles you can actually use! how illuminating. what's in your wallet? let me guess, am i on the naughty list again? ho ho ho! because for every two pounds you lose through diet and exercise, alli can help you lose one more by blocking some of the fat you eat. let's fight fat with alli. ♪ ...but he'd wait for her forever, for any reason, and would always be there with the biggest welcome home.

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[ female announcer ] tell us... what will you gain when you lose? this morning on new year, new year, will 2013 be your year to get fit and eat right? we have five tips to keep your resolutions on track. dr. raj, gat to see you. >> you too. >> i love your overriding theme, which is take baby steps. if you shoot too high, you're never going to do it. >> exactly. you don't want to be overambitious because you're setting yourself up for disappointment. there is an opportunity here to make real health changes, which is great, but you want to achieve them. so go slowly. don't say i'm going to lose 50 pounds or 100 pounds because that's not going to happen quickly. stagger your goals, make them achievable.

>> you do the 50-pound thing, and you get discouraged. you say to take advantage of technology. >> these days there's an app for everything. there's definitely happens to help you lose weight, exercise. there's one called lose it, which helps you set your weight loss goals. tells you how many calories you should be consuming every day and helps you track when you're eating. you can scan the bar code if you're in a supermarket and find out how many calories. there's another one called fooducate, like educate. if you're going for the potato chips, you can scan it, it will give you a healthier alternative. >> they make it pretty easy now. you also talk about practical goals. >> you have to know yourself. you have to know, what are the practicalities of your day to day life? if your goal is to exercise every evening but you know you have kids to watch, you have to make a plan for that. maybe your husband can watch them for an extra hour or get a babysitter for that time. anticipate the roadblocks and deal with them. if you don't, you're just going to be discouraged and lose

faith. >> your next tip jumped out at me. beware of the company you keep. are you suggesting we shed a few people in our lives? >> i'm not saying drop your old friends, but studies have shown if you are hanging out with unhealthy people who have unhealthy behaviors, you're more prone to do that yourself. try to find some healthy people to be friends with. a peer group, a gym is a great way to meet some healthy friends. then you're going to be more motivated. you'll be talking to them about healthy recipes or a fun new exercise. it's overall going to elevate you and keep you on track. >> so blow off the old friends. >> don't blow them off. add a few healthy ones. >> and finally, have fun with it. >> if it's a chore, chances are, we're not going to do it. there are fun ways to be healthy. if you don't like being on the treadmill, find a dance class that's more fun or exercise with a friend, go for a walk. don't -- you know, you don't have to have wheat germ every day. you can find a recipe that's tasty and you enjoy.

you're much more likely to stick to your goals. >> all right. baby steps it is. dr. raj, great to see you. >> thank you. still ahead, lively center pieces for your new year's table that will live on well into 2013. first, these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up.

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>> he's vigilant about it. he's killing that three-piece suit. >> sure is. check out the article this weekend. we'll be back with more after this. [ gwen ] i used to sleep on the tour bus between shows. but that doesn't happen much anymore. the creative process never stops. and songwriting is so hard, but i love it. these days, i guess i just don't want to miss a thing. [ laughs ] i miss you guys. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ red jars are all the same right? wrong! you need three uses of a $15 cream to equal the moisturizing power of one use of regenerist microsculpting cream. seems not all red jars are created equal. olay regenerist. then i read an article about a study that looked at the long term health benefits of taking multivitamins. they used centrum silver for the study...

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>> this is wbal t b 11 is today in baltimore. >> partly sunny skies today. very similar to yesterday with much less wind. that makes all the difference. it feels better. the forecast across the state tomorrow -- possibly 1-to-two inches of snow a

back now with a look at that beautiful 80-foot norway spruce lighting up rockefeller plaza. a lot of people in town to spend time around that tree. enjoy it while you can. not going to be up much longer. i'm willie geist along with natalie morales, erica hill, and maria larosa. just ahead, we're going to check out the gadgets and gizmos that stood out in 2012, including the swiss army knife of bartending. >> really? okay. interesting. plus, everything you need to throw for the ultimate new year's eve party, including creative cocktails to homemade center pieces that go beyond simple flowers and candles.

>> all right. sounds good. first, erica, you have a preview of what's coming up this weekend. >> indeed, i do. we will be keeping a close eye on the fiscal cliff negotiations as that clock ticks closer to january 1st. also, "mad" magazine celebrating its 60th anniversary. how its biting humor and scathing satire have given them their staying power. plus, a little visit to the barefoot conetessa's kitchen. how she entertains over the holidays and how she's spending her new year's. >> i think that's my dream, to have a dinner party at her house. have her cook. >> she's lovely. we see her here sometimes. just as lovely at her home. >> you call it a visit. it's more like a pilgrimage when you go to her kitchen. >> they had to kick me out the door. >> i wouldn't want to leave either. erica, thank you. now to maria with a check of the weather. a lot of people expecting snow.

>> the same places that saw the snow the last go around. we're not going to see the intensity or quite the amounts. nonetheless, still a busy travel day. we're going to see that snow stretch from the ohio valley into the northeast, including washington, d.c., philadelphia, new york, boston, to inland. showers and thunderstorms across the southeast. the midsection, you're getting a chance to dry out, calm down. it's going to be quite chilly. cold temperatures below average and still unsettled across the west coast. by sunday, you're seeing snow showers in through the rockies and lingering snow showers in the parts of the

and sunday is football night in america. this is a big one, guys. we have the cowboys and the redskins at the redskins' fedex field. increasing clouds. temperatures into the 30s. of course, this is for the nfc east championship and a chance for home field advantage. so go cowboys, go redskins. at least the weather is going to cooperate. >> you can't choose both. >> i can. >> she's smart. she knows chose two teams are die hard. >> great night sunday night on nbc. maria, thanks so much. coming up, how to make new year's eve center pieces that will last you well into the new year. oh, my. what's going on there? >> i'll take two, please. >> wow. not sure what to make of that. first, these messages. an't belie it's finally here! [ woman #2 ] it's the real deal! [ man #1 ] turn it around! turn it around! [ woman #1 ] over here! over here! [ woman #2 ] turn around! turn around! [ woman #1 ] i love you! i can't believe it's not butter! neither can i. turn the tub around! show us the back! [ man #1 ] turn the tub around!

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this morning on "today," celebrates the holidays, creative center pieces that will live on long after your new year's eve holiday. good morning. >> good morning. >> i love this theme here. it's a winter wonderland. what's great about this is you say all of these elements can be reused throughout the year. >> everything i used in all these center pieces, either you could give to your guest as a memento of the evening or use it the rest of the year. everything is less than $100. it's about repurposing and getting creative. it's fun. >> tell me about what you get started out with. >> start with a base. i thought these were so fun from z gallery. these are mirrored place mats. i just pushed them together. you get that glamorous mirror. i added these dwell antelopes, which are so pretty. these could be on your book shelf the rest of the year. clustered together, creating

different heights and varieties. this ballard designs hurricane holder, invaluable all year long. look how fun it is. >> where did you get these? these are cool. >> these are fun. a lot of local florists have these. they're battery operated. >> oh, great. >> i have these in my house all year long on a timer. at night they come on. >> very elegant. >> really special and festive. >> okay. over here you've created a sophisticated kids' table. they want to have fun too. >> get your kids involved. again, have them help make this. this is a tray that would be helpful all year long for breakfast in bed. when you combine fun things like these urban outfitter trolls -- >> cute. >> these are votive holders from one king's lane. super chic. however, i thought have the kids fill them with candy. that makes it fun, keeps them busy been i added marbles and card games. i thought that was fun. then these are gummy lights. gummy bear lights from urban

outfitters. again, these are almost like in lieu of flowers, but you have that center focus and build around it. >> fun. great kids table. they can take the marbles or cards holmes wime with them. >> exact lly. >> over here, this is our natural table. >> again, it all starts with as by. i love this runner. this is only $88 from anthropology. you set it down, it instantly sets the mood. you could use this in july. this bowl to me is so beautiful. this is from zee gallery. this is under $100. this would look great anywhere in your house. when you combine it with this beautiful runner, and i took these westhome vases and dressed them up with tulips. these are from a supermarket. if you take a whole bunch, again, more is more. put them in there. it's the unexpected. it makes it look just fun and festive. >> this looks very spring here too. >> it does. or it could be, you know, again for new year's, any time of the

year. >> very fresh. >> it's combining the unexpected to make it festive and fun. >> okay. last but not least, this is table that keeps giving. >> this keeps on giving. i think it's fun to have the center piece also be gifts for guests. so the first thing i thought it for the host memento, this is a monogrammed tray. it says happy 2013. >> this can be there year round. >> exactly. fun to have a bunch of them. this can be in your center. then i love the idea of these mint julip cups. i monogram them for each guest. they don't have to be. filling them with supermarket roses instantly looks festive. these are a great investment. they're only $25. i use these all year round. >> what's with the pictures? >> okay. you're invited to my party. this is an idea, again, as a guest gift. these are place cards. so take pictures. you know, you have pictures -- >> make sure it's a flattering picture. >> no bad pictures of you. i'm sorry. you look gorgeous. i thought what is fun is you put

the pictures of your guests. this acts as a place card, and they can take it home. >> that's a great idea. i love it. susanna, thank you so much. great ideas. happy new year. coming up next, from speakers to hard to break wine glasses, the hottest gear of the year right after this. we get cats. they are smart. they can outsmart their humans.. ...and their canines. so they deserve a smart choice in litter. we make fresh step scoopable with carbon. because carbon has tons of tiny pores that are trapping and eliminating odors. fresh step, your cat deserves the best. try new fresh step lasting power for extended odor control.

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back now with the best of the best in 2012 in gadgets. jesse will is here with a few products that stood out this year. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. good to see you, willie. >> let's start with the camp stove. why was this so big this year? >> if you've been paying attention to this stuff, if you're a backpacker, the thing that's happening here is backpackers are really upping their culinary game. >> really? >> dehydrated food is not cutting it anymore. this is a stove by jet boil. it's called the sumo. it boils about 1.8 liters of water in less than three minutes. so super fast. really, really some cool stuff you can do with that. >> and the whole device is stored in here so you can pack it into a backpack. >> it's like russian nesting i dolls almost. >> okay. tell me about the smart

notebook. >> this is a collaboration of moleskin notebooks and evernote, a note taking app. what you can do is take notes, do drawings, whatever. use the evernote app. take a photo of it. it digitizes your notes. >> just off the photograph? >> just off the photograph. it will also -- it'll know what you wrote. you can search it later. pretty cool. >> very cool. wireless speakers are big. i just got one of these for christmas from my wife. it's changed my life. they're amazing. good sound, even at this size. >> right. 2012 was the year of the bluetooth speaker. a couple great ones. you have one by bose that's awesome. this one is actually from jbl. it's a little cheaper at $60. we were just impressed at the pretty good bass sound that comes out of this. you can get it in four colors. again, only $60. doesn't take up any room in your backpack or carry on. >> can we hear it? >> we can try. let's do it.

>> now i've called into your collection. >> it works. >> there we go. that's good. >> good quality. >> all right. we'll shut that off. now shatter proof wine glasses. very important around this time of year. >> almost shatter proof. it is that time of year. almost shatter proof wine glasses. this is by a company called ion strong. it's japanese crystal stemware. it's 1.5 times the strength of traditional glassware. >> may i? >> do it. >> there we go. >> i don't know how rowdy it gets at your house. >> you don't want to test it too much. but they work. >> we did toss one of these champagne glasses in the office and did get it to break. it's not break proof. >> but you had to fire it against the wall. >> we had to fire it against the wall. >> hopefully none of your guests are doing this that holiday season. i love this thing. it's the swiss army knife of bartending. >> this is called the bartender. it's $50. it's a ten-in-one tool.

it has everything from a strainer to a citrus peeler to a stirrer. i feel like -- >> measure out your shots. >> edward bartender hands. >> we should drink. i like the way you think. >> i'm just going to pretend we need to measure this. >> what are we drinking, by the way? >> this is a whiskey and ginger ale. >> i'll take that. it's never too early on the "today" show. usually it's for the 10:00 hour. >> should we skip the ginger ale? >> while i sip this, tell me about this scale over here. >> all right. fitness tracking, as you just talked about, is huge this year. some of the best ways to kind of boost your fitness is to track how many miles you're going, how much weight you have to lose. this is a scale that has bluetooth, and it syncs with an app so when you step on the scale, it records your weight. it tracks your weight for you.

what you can get it to do is actually tweet how much you weigh. >> let me ask you, why in the world would you want to tweet out how much you weigh? >> well, some people might need the extra motivation to lose that weight. for guys like you and me, we would just be saying, you know, this weekend i gained five pounds of muscle, right? >> exactly. >> so we want everybody to know that. >> nothing like a little public shaming. great stuff. thank you. up next, more drinking, apparently. tasty cocktails to serve at your new year's eve bash. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today" celebrates 2013, toasting the new year. whether you're hosting a large new year's eve party or a more intimate gathering, you can show off your bartending skills. >> here to show us how, mixologist jason litrell.

general rules. what are we talking about? >> make sure everybody has something. >> yeah. >> we'll get to the punch later. you know, i was to understand your favorite drink is a bourbon and ginger. >> i do. i like bourbon on the rocks. sometimes i'll splash it with ginger ale. you have a fancy version for me. >> kind of like the ferrari of bourbon and ginger ale. >> just for you, willie. you get the ferrari, the sports car. >> actually, it's my day off. you're going to have to make it. i'm sorry. this is fresh lime juice right here. it's about three-quarters of an ounce. >> that's a guy drink. i want the girl drink. >> so about three-quarters of an ounce of lime juice. this is fresh ginger serve with ginger and sugar, basically. this is your morning, so you tell us how much bourbon you'd like. >> we'll just have a little for the purposes of television. we'll have reality later. tell me about the orange peel. >> it's a garnish called a horse's neck. it just adds a lot of aromatic

orange oils. then top it off with a little soda. again, it's your drink. you can do whatever you want. >> he likes it strong, i guess. >> this is what it looks like it when's done. >> i'm going to try a done one. >> i'm not a bourbon kind of girl, but that's refreshing. >> perhaps you haven't had it the right way. >> i like it that way. now, if you're somebody who's watching your weight, watching the calories, especially as you ring in the new year, here's a drink for those out there. what are you going to make for us? vodka cranberry take? >> sure. it's in the ballpark of less than 150 calories. so something that's easy to drink. take your bottle right here. >> am i working this one? >> i told you, it's my day off. >> okay. day off. i don't know how much -- i haven't had vodka in a long time. >> then top it off with some cranberry. >> they're like, yeah, uh-huh. i don't. i drink wine. this is cranberry. >> it's pomegranate, actually.

>> healthier that way, right? >> just to lower the calories a little more, we're going to sweeten it up with a little agave nectar. that's a natural sugar. >> does cranberry not have enough sweetener in it? >> it's a little tart. then that's it. >> then a little soda and a lime? >> then garnish it with your lemon. >> see what you think, natalie. >> that actually could use more vodka. a little light on the vodka. it's friday. >> now, what are we making for the group back here? everybody can dip in here. >> you definitely want to have -- if you guys notice, we have these spice packets. i was going to have you make these. >> you're using white wine. >> it's traditionally made with red wine. today we're going to make it with a white wine. it's something -- put some cloves, black pepper, and cinnamon is already in there. >> okay. that's a lot of that. you know what? it's new year's eve. let's go for it.

>> a lot of black pepper. >> you did make your own first drink. >> okay. and a good bottle of white. a dry white? or sweet white? does it matter? >> stick to the drier side. it's going on the base of a simple syrup. while you're figuring out how to tie that, which you're doing a great job, by the way. >> 30 seconds to go. so you're going to let this go how long? >> this is going to sit around for about 30 minutes. pardon me. i'm going to grab this vanilla. >> then serve it up nice and warm in a crock pot. >> yep. >> beautiful. >> jason, thank you. happy new year. kathy lee and hoda, this is a segment for them. >> it is. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

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